Device for smoothing out clothes

ABSTRACT

A device for smoothing out clothes, in particular shirts comprising an external inflatable body and an internal inflatable body each of which is provided with a trunk section. When inflated, the external and internal inflatable bodies are adjacent to each other through a contact area, and the material of the internal inflatable body and/or external inflatable body exhibits at least a mean air permeability at least in a transmission area which forms the part of the contact area.

The present invention relates to a device for smoothing out a clothingitem, in particular a clothing item for the upper body such as a shirt,a blouse or a jacket.

It is known that clothing items may be dried and/or ironed or otherwisesmoothed out by pulling them onto an inflatable body, also referred toas an inflatable mannequin, having essentially the shape of the clothingitem to be smoothed, and then this inflatable body is inflated with airor steam from the inside. The inflatable body is inflated by the supplyof air and/or steam, thereby stretching the ironing goods and/or dryinggoods from the inside. To achieve a uniform inflation of the inflatablebody and thereby ensure good drying and smoothing results, the airand/or steam introduced into the interior of the inflatable body must bedistributed in such a way that the inflatable body assumes the desiredshape.

German Patent DE 100 63 672 A1 therefore proposes creating a device forsmoothing shirts, said device having a subdivided inflatable body. Anouter inflatable body and two inner inflatable bodies arranged insidethe outer inflatable body are proposed here. The inner inflatable bodiesare each made of an air-permeable material and each has a body sectionand an arm section. The pressure in the outer inflatable body is createdby the air coming out of the inner inflatable bodies, and openings mayalso be provided at the ends of the arm sections to permit a highersupply of air to the arms of the outer inflatable body.

To dry areas of the clothing item in which there is more than one layerof fabric, it is also known that air-permeable areas may be processed inthe inflatable puppet or openings in the form of holes may be providedin this area. One such embodiment is described in WO 99/49123, forexample.

The disadvantage of this device is that after a certain degree of dryingis reached, there is an elevated loss of air at those locations wheremultiple layers of the clothing item must be dried.

The object of the present invention is therefore to create a device forsmoothing a clothing item in which areas with several layers of fabriccan be smoothed reliably while at the same time the loss of air and/orsteam can be minimized and furthermore a good smoothing result can beachieved.

This object is achieved according to the present invention by a devicefor smoothing clothing items, especially shirts, whereby the device hasan outer inflatable body and an inner inflatable body, the outerinflatable body and the inner inflatable body each having a bodysection; in the inflated state, the inner inflatable body and the outerinflatable body are in contact with one another over a contact area andthe material of the inner and/or outer inflatable body has at least onemoderate air permeability in a permeable area which forms a part of thecontact area.

Due to this embodiment of the present invention, it is possible toutilize the advantages of providing an inner inflatable body while atthe same time creating a targeted air supply to a few areas of theclothing item. According to this invention, the inner inflatable bodymay exert a supporting function in which it imparts a desired shape tothe outer inflatable body. Furthermore, the inner inflatable body mayalso serve to supply air to the outer inflatable body and to theclothing item. These advantages may be utilized ideally according to thepresent invention because in the inflated state there is contact betweenthe inner and outer inflatable bodies over a contact area. This contactmay be created via the inner inflatable body due to the fact that theinflatable body stretches in the direction of the outer inflatable bodyuntil the two are in contact. However, this contact may also be createdfrom the outside by a clamping device which presses the outer inflatablebody against the inner inflatable body. In this area, due to thepressure difference prevailing between the environment and the innerinflatable body, a greater discharge of air to the environment and thusto the clothing item is achieved than in those areas where the inner andouter inflatable bodies are not in direct contact. In the latter areas,there is only the pressure difference between the environment and theouter inflatable body, which is lower than the pressure differencebetween the environment and the inner inflatable body.

In at least a portion of the contact area which is also referred to asthe permeable area, there is also an air permeability in the material ofat least one of the inflatable bodies, so a further increase in airsupply to the clothing item through this inflatable area can be ensured.Therefore, seams or areas having more than one layer of fabric, forexample, can be smoothed and dried ideally in the permeable area. Theair permeability of the material can be created, for example, byselecting a textile material having the stated air permeability or bycreating openings in a tightly woven material.

The contact area on the inner and outer inflatable bodies preferablyextends over a portion of the body section, especially over the frontside and the sides of the body section. As a rule, the side seams ofshirts are placed in this area and chest pockets or applications arealso provided in this area. Due to the contact between the inner andouter inflatable bodies, there is a greater pressure difference withrespect to the environment in these areas, which improves the smoothingresult.

The permeability area is preferably provided on the sides of the bodysections of the inner and/or outer inflatable body. In this position,which corresponds to the position of a side seam on a shirt, anincreased air supply to the clothing item and in particular to the seamcan thus be ensured. On the side of the body of a clothing item, inparticular a shirt, side seams are provided for connecting therespective front part of the shirt to the back part. These are oftenprocessed as French seams and therefore contain four or more layers offabric. An increased air supply is necessary in this area in particular.

If the permeable area can be provided on the inner inflatable body, thenan adequate drying and smoothing of multilayer areas of the clothingitem may also be achieved without forming impressions on the clothingitem due to seams or openings in the inflatable body. Seams on clothingitems usually join two cut sections, each having one layer of fabric. Inthe area of the single layer of fabric, the air supply should thereforebe as low as possible so that air introduced into the inflatable bodycan be prevented from escaping. The amount of air passing through thelayer of fabric unused increases with a progressive degree of drying ofthe fabric. When using an air-permeable area for drying a seam, it istherefore necessary for it to be formed by a separate cut section in theinflatable body which is sewed to cut sections of a lower airpermeability, preferably to tight cut sections. Due to the pressureunder which the inflatable body is in contact with the clothing item,the seams may be pressed onto the clothing item which may thus result innegative effects on the smoothing result. Openings which may also beprovided in the inflatable body to permit drying of seams cannot usuallybe limited to the exact dimensions of the seams on the clothing item sothat impressions may also be formed on the adjacent single layer areasof the clothing item.

If the permeable area is provided on the inner inflatable body, thematerial of the outer inflatable body is situated between the innerinflatable body and the clothing item. Seams required for joining thepermeable area to other areas, preferably nonporous, of the innerinflatable body are not transferred to the clothing item because theinner inflatable body is either not in contact with the outer inflatablebody at the seams or the seams are separated from the clothing item bythe material of the outer inflatable body.

In addition it should be noted that the inner inflatable body is to beused primarily for supporting the shape of the outer inflatable body.The shape of the outer inflatable body in the body area of the shirtshould preferably have an oval cross section. This can be achieved ifthe inner inflatable body is in contact with the sides of the bodysection of the outer inflatable body and press them apart there. Thusthe contact in this area in addition to the controlled transfer of airto the side seam of the clothing item may also serve the purpose ofideal shaping of the outer inflatable body.

The permeable area may additionally or alternatively be situated in thechest area of the inner and/or outer inflatable body. In these areas,chest pockets or other applications are usually provided on shirts. Dueto the air-permeable material in the permeable area and due to the factthat the two inflatable bodies are in contact with one another in thisarea, these parts of the clothing item where multiple layers of fabricare provided can also be smoothed ideally.

The material of the inner inflatable body preferably has a moderate airpermeability in the permeable area, especially an air permeability inthe range of 3 to 20 L/m²s, preferably from 5 to 10 L/m²s. Due to thismoderate air permeability, it is possible for air to pass through thisarea but air is prevented from escaping from the inner inflatable body.

Alternatively or additionally, the material of the outer inflatable bodymay have a moderate air permeability in the permeable area, inparticular an air permeability in the range of 3 to 20 L/m²s, preferablyfrom 5 to 10 L/m²s. This further improves the air supply to the clothingitem.

In one embodiment, the material of the outer inflatable body in thepermeable area has a high air permeability, in particular an airpermeability in the range of 100 to 250 L/m²s, preferably from 150 to210 L/m²s. In this case the inner inflatable body may be designed to betight, i.e., with an air permeability in the range 0 to 3 L/m²s,preferably from 0 to 1 L/m²s or with a moderate air permeability. Inthis way the escape of air over the contact area is limited to theamount necessary for drying of the seam of the clothing item which is incontact with the outer inflatable body in this area.

In the inflated state, a pressure ratio between the pressure in theouter inflatable body and the pressure in the inner inflatable body of1:2.5 to 1:4.5, preferably from 1:3 to 1:3.5 prevails in the device.This pressure ratio is achieved through the essentially airtight designof the inner inflatable body. The pressure difference may also beadjusted accurately through the choice of the size of the air-permeableareas on the inner and outer inflatable bodies.

Air-impermeable areas of the inflatable body are preferably areas havingan air permeability in the range of 0 to 3 L/m²s, preferably from 0 to 1L/m²s. Open areas are the areas having an air permeability in the rangeof 100 to 250 L/m²s, preferably from 150 to 210 L/m²s. The values arepreferably measured at a pressure difference of 100 Pa.

This invention is explained in greater detail below on the basis of theaccompanying figures, which show:

FIG. 1: a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the inventivedevice;

FIG. 2: a detailed view of a side part of an inner inflatable body ofthe embodiment of the inventive device to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3: a schematic perspective view of an outer inflatable body ofanother embodiment of the inventive device; and

FIG. 4: a schematic cross-sectional view through an embodiment of theinventive device.

FIG. 1 shows a device 1 consisting of an outer inflatable body 2 and aninner inflatable body 3. The outer inflatable body 2 is only partiallyindicated to allow a view of the inner inflatable body 3. The outerinflatable body 2 comprises a body section 21 and two arms sections 22which are connected to the body section 21 via an arm opening 23 at thesides.

An inner inflatable body 3 is accommodated in the outer inflatable body2. The inner inflatable body 3 is formed by two side parts 31 and 32 inthe embodiment depicted here. One side part 31 of the inner inflatablebody 3 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. The design and functioningof the inventive device are explained below in particular with respectto this side part 31, which is shown as the left side part in FIG. 1.The other side part 32, i.e., the right side part in FIG. 1, has thesame design and fulfills the same functions. The side part 31 has a bodypart 311; the body parts of the first and second side parts 31 and 32are spaced a distance apart and together form the body section of theinner inflatable body 3. An arm piece 312 is arranged on the side of theside part 31. It is connected to the side part 31 by an arm pieceopening. An opening 314 is provided on the end face 313 of the arm piece312 through which opening the arm section 22 can be supplied with air.

The body part 311 of the side part 31 of the inner inflatable body 3 isformed by an inside 4 on the sides facing the additional side part 32.In the embodiment depicted here, a cut section 41 having a high airpermeability is incorporated into this inside 4 of the body part 311 ata medium height. The additional cut sections 42 and 43 of the inside 4of the side part 31 are preferably designed to be tight. A connectingopening 44 through which the side part 31 can be connected to a fan of ahousing (not shown) provided beneath the inflatable body 2 in the lowercut section 43 of the inside 4.

On the side opposite the inside 4, a cut section 5 which is incorporatedinto the body part 311 has a moderate air permeability in the range of 3to 20 L/m²s, preferably in the range of 5 to 10 L/m²s, measured at apressure difference of 100 Pa. This cut section 5 extends over the bodypart from the lower edge to the arm piece opening.

With the device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a clothing item, especially ashirt can be smoothed in a simple and reliable manner. The clothing itemis stretched onto the outer inflatable body 2, with the arm sections 22of the outer inflatable body 2 being inserted into the clothing item andpreferably secured there. Then air or steam is introduced by a fan intothe inner inflatable body 3, preferably through the connecting opening44. In the embodiment depicted here, air is introduced in this way intoboth side parts 31 and 32. The air from the inner inflatable body 3 isdirected into the arm section 22 of the outer inflatable body 2 throughthe opening 313 in the arm piece 312 and the corresponding opening inthe arm piece of the side part 32, thereby causing the arm section to beinflated.

The body section 21 of the outer inflatable body 2 is supplied with airthrough an area 41 on the inside 4 of the side parts 31 and 32 of theinner inflatable body 3. The area 41 is designed to be air permeable sothat the air introduced into the inner inflatable body 3 can passthrough this area into the body section 21 of the outer inflatable body2.

The inner inflatable body 3 is filled in this way and releases a certainamount of air to the outer inflatable body 2, causing the latter toinflate. The cross-sectional shape of the side parts 31 and 32 isselected so that together they produce an essentially oval shape in thebody area. Due to this shape, the side parts 31 and 32 support the shapeof the outer inflatable body 2 in the body section which assumes theshape of the clothing item stretched onto the outer inflatable body 2.The side parts 31 and 32 may additionally be supported by having themsupported on the inside 4 against a frame (not shown). This ensuresreliable expansion of the body section 21 of the outer inflatable body 1in the lateral direction. The shaping by the side parts 31 and 32 isaccomplished essentially by the fact that they are in contact with thesides of the body section 21 of the outer inflatable body 2 and pressthem apart there.

In locations where the side parts 31 and 32 are in contact with theouter inflatable body 2 in this way, the cut sections 5 of a moderateair permeability are provided, in this case forming the permeable areas.Thus, a greater amount of air can escape through these permeable areasover the cut section 5 and the adjacent area of the body section 21 ofthe outer inflatable body 2 than is the case in the areas of the bodysection 21 adjacent to the permeable area. This greater release of airin the permeable area may occur because the amount of air released isdetermined by the prevailing pressure difference. Owing to the fact thatthe outer inflatable body 2 is supplied with air through the innerinflatable body 3 by means of specially provided air-permeable areas andopenings, a lower pressure, e.g., 100 to 120 Pa, prevails in the outerinflatable body 2 than in the inner inflatable body 3 which is suppliedwith air directly by a fan and in which a pressure of 400 Pa mayprevail, for example. The pressure difference between the innerinflatable 3 and the environment is thus greater than the pressuredifference between the outer inflatable body 2 and the environment. Thepermeable area which is provided according to this invention and isformed by the cut section 5 of a moderate air permeability that is incontact with the outer inflatable body 2 supports the release of air sothat the side seam of the clothing item which is in contact with theouter inflatable body 2 in this area can be dried reliably. The seams bymeans of which the cut section 5 of the permeable area is joined to theother cut sections of the body part 31, 32 of the inner inflatable bodydo not come in contact with the body section 21 of the outer inflatablebody 2 and thus impressions on the clothing item can be prevented. Evenif the seams of the inner inflatable body 3 come in contact with theouter inflatable body 2, this is not transmitted as interferingimpressions on the clothing item because the material of the outerinflatable body 2 is between them. In the embodiment depicted here, theend faces 313, the cut section of the arm stop 312 and the cut sectionswhich form the body 311, except for the inside 4, are all made of amaterial that has an air permeability in the range of 0 to 1 L/m²s,measured at a pressure difference of 100 Pa, i.e., the material isessentially tight. The cut sections 42 in the upper area of the insideand 43 in the lower area of the inside are preferably also formed bythis tight material. The air-permeable area 44, however, preferably hasan air permeability in the range of 150 to 210 L/m²s. These values aremeasured at a pressure difference of 100 Pa.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer inflatablebody 2 is designed to be essentially airtight in the contact area whereit comes into contact with the permeable area 5 of the inner inflatablebody 3 in the inflated state. In this area, however, a permeable areamay also be provided at least partially on the outer inflatable body 3.Such an embodiment is indicated schematically in FIG. 3 where cutsections 24 of a moderate air permeability are incorporated into theouter inflatable body 2 in the chest area, partially forming thepermeable area 25. The permeable area 25 is formed here by the part ofthe cut sections 24 where they come in contact with the inner inflatablebody 3 on the inside. If the inner inflatable body is in contact withthe outer inflatable body 2 only on the sides, i.e., along the permeablearea 5, then the permeable area 25 is formed on the outer inflatablebody 2 only in the area where the cut section 24 is in contact with thepermeable area 5. The other part of the cut section 24 does not functionas a permeable area in the sense of this invention because the innerinflatable body 3 in this embodiment is not in contact with the outerinflatable body 2 in this area, i.e., there is no contact area here. Ahigh air supply to the clothing item, in particular the side seam, canbe achieved in the permeable areas 5, 25 due to the air permeabilityprovided on the inner and outer inflatable bodies and also due to thecontact existing between the inner and outer inflatable bodies.

FIG. 4 shows another preferred embodiment in a sectional view. Hereagain, the inner inflatable body 3 is formed by two side parts 31, 32which together form the body section of the inner inflatable body 3.This body section is surrounded by the body section 21 of the outerinflatable body 2 which has a structure like that of the outerinflatable body 2 shown in FIG. 3. On the front side of the device, aclamping device 6 is provided, serving to secure the button strip of theshirt. This clamping device 6 at the same time ensures that the outerinflatable body 2 will be pressed against the inner inflatable body 3over its entire front side, especially the side parts 31, 32. Inaddition, the side parts 31, 32 of the inner inflatable body 3 aredesigned so that on the whole they produce an oval shape of the outerinflatable body 2 in the body area. This is achieved by the fact thatthe sides of the side parts 31, 32 are in contact with the sides of thebody area 21 of the outer inflatable body 2 and press them apart, i.e.,into an oval shape. On the back side of the device there is no contactbetween the inner and outer inflatable bodies. The back section of ashirt is situated in this area, usually being designed as a single layerand therefore requiring only a limited air supply to smooth it.

In the embodiment in FIG. 4, the contact area thus extends over theentire front side of the device, except the distance between the twoside parts of the inner inflatable body, up to the sides of the bodysection and beyond them to a certain extent. To facilitate anunderstanding, a slight distance has been left between the inner andouter inflatable bodies in this area as well. With the inventive devicein this embodiment, however, the two inflatable bodies are in directcontact in this area. The permeable area in the embodiment depicted hereis also formed over a large area. The cut sections, indicated by dottedlines, in particular the cut sections 5 of the inner inflatable body 3and the cut sections 24 of the outer inflatable body 2 have a moderateair permeability. Thus, the permeable area at chest height extendsbeyond the chest areas and the side parts so it is formed by the cutsections 5 and 24 at chest height.

Below chest height, i.e., in the waist and hip area, there is contactbetween the inner and outer inflatable bodies on the front sideextending to the sides, but there is no permeable area here in the sensein the present invention because at this height both the material of theinner inflatable body and that of the outer inflatable body are designedto be tight on the front side, i.e., having an air permeability of 0 to3 L/m²s. Therefore, the permeable area at waist or hip height is onlyprovided on the sides of the body section where the cut section 5 of theinner inflatable body 3 in contact with the outer inflatable body 2. Inthis way, the side seam of the clothing item can also be dried at thisheight without having to fear loss of air on the front side.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment depicted here.

It is also possible according to this invention to provide permeableareas in other positions where a seam of the clothing item must bedried. For example, a material having a moderate air permeability may beprovided on the lower side on the arm piece of the inner inflatable bodywhich is in contact with the arm section of the outer inflatable body inthe inflated state. This would make it possible to dry the arm seam.

The permeable area may be formed according to this invention by all orpart of the contact area. The permeable area is located where the innerinflatable body and/or the outer inflatable body has at least a moderateair permeability and the two inflatable bodies are in contact with oneanother. Combinations are also possible in the permeable area in thatthe inner inflatable body may have a moderate air permeability while theouter inflatable body also has a moderate air permeability.Alternatively, the outer inflatable body may be designed to be tight inthis area. In addition, it is also possible to design the innerinflatable body to be tight in the permeable area and the outerinflatable body to have a high air permeability, i.e., to be open.

An ideal smoothing result can be achieved through the combination of thecontact of the two inflatable bodies and the increased air permeabilityof the materials provided in this area.

1-8. (canceled)
 9. A device for smoothing clothing items, the devicecomprising an outer inflatable body having an outer torso section and aninner inflatable body having an inner torso section, the innerinflatable body and the outer inflatable body being in contact with oneanother over a contact area in an inflated state and the material of atleast one of the inner and outer inflatable bodies having at least amoderate air permeability in at least one permeable area which forms apart of the contact area.
 10. The device according to claim 9, whereinthe contact area extends on the inner and outer inflatable bodies over aportion of the torso sections, in particular over a front and sides ofthe torso sections.
 11. The device according to claim 9, wherein theinner and outer inflatable bodies include sides and the permeable areais located on the sides of the torso sections of at least one of theinner and outer inflatable bodies.
 12. The device according to claim 9,wherein the permeable area is located in a chest area of at least one ofthe inner and outer inflatable bodies.
 13. The device according to claim9, wherein the at least one permeable area is on the inner inflatablebody and is formed from a material having a moderate air permeability inthe range of about 3 to 20 L/m²s.
 14. The device according to claim 13,wherein the at least one permeable area of the inner inflatable body isformed from a material having a moderate air permeability in the rangeof about 5 to 10 L/m²s.
 15. The device according to claim 9, wherein theat least one permeable area is on the outer inflatable body and isformed from a material having a moderate air permeability in the rangeof about 3 to 20 L/m²s.
 16. The device according to claim 15, whereinthe at least one permeable area of the outer inflatable body is formedfrom a material having a moderate air permeability in the range of about5 to 10 L/m²s.
 17. The device according to claim 9, wherein the at leastone permeable area is on the outer inflatable body and is formed from amaterial having a high air permeability in the range of about 100 to 250L/m²s.
 18. The device according to claim 13, wherein the at least onepermeable area of the outer inflatable body is formed from a materialhaving a moderate air permeability in the range of about 150 to 210L/m²s.
 19. The device according to claim 9, wherein a pressure ratio ofthe pressure in the outer inflatable body and the pressure in the innerinflatable body in the inflated state is between about 1:2.5 to 1:4.5.